Planning Department

The City of McAllen Planning Department guides and manages the growth of the City and its environment through policies, decisions and regulations adopted by the Mayor and City Commission. The Planning Department implements these guidelines through planning documents such as Foresight McAllen: A Growth Management Guide, development codes and ordinances such as zoning, subdivision, landscaping, parking, and signs, special studies and other planning documents. The Planning Department maintains a desirable quality of life, and promotes a positive community environment through orderly growth that is clean, healthy, and safe.

Daily functions of the Planning Department include coordinating and processing development projects with annexation, subdivision, rezoning, conditional use permits, site plan and building permit reviews, inspections of development sites and miscellaneous structures or uses, land use surveillance in the extraterritorial jurisdiction, processing of various applications, and preparations and support for meetings of the Planning and Zoning Commission, Zoning Board of Adjustments and Appeals, and the Historic Preservation Council.

On going activities include zoning studies maintaining thoroughfare plans in cooperation with the County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), and coordination with neighboring cities and the County Planning Department.